Re: Multilingual translation exercise, part 1

On Fri, 14 Jun 2002 22:12, John Cowan wrote:
> Christophe Grandsire scripsit:
> > Well, I hope you're talking about yourself (and that this translation is
> > purely ironic) ;))) . If not, I have to warn you that this is probably
> > the worst translation of a French text I ever saw :))) . Even Babelfish
> > gives a better approximation of the French text!!!
>
> Despite the novel email address, the fact that he calls me "John son of
> John" in Kernu shows that this is Padraic Brown, who after all specializes
> in bizarre translations (I do this sort of thing with *one* Hanuman
> mantra, and an uproar!).  His is the spirit that renders _Solvitur
> ambulando_ as "Salvation only in an ambulance."
In one of the parody books put out by respectacle publishers, there is a
whole section devoted to treating nursery rhymes (in English) as written in
French or German, and translating them accordingly.  (I regret that I don't
know if it is the Faber one, or some other one.)

Humpy Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king's horses and all the king's men
couldn't put Humpty together again.

It was hilarious.

I'm sure we could all come up with many such "translations" to enlighten the
world :
Timeo Danaos et donna ferentes - The timid Danes, fearing their donnas.
(taken from "Schoolboy Howlers", c. 193*)

Wesley Parish
--
Mau e ki, "He aha te mea nui?"
You ask, "What is the most important thing?"
Maku e ki, "He tangata, he tangata, he tangata."
I reply, "It is people, it is people, it is people."